Tachileik

Tachilek is the easternmost town in the country and enjoys the fame of anchoring the Myanmar end of the Golden Triangle, a term which made its entry into print during the Vietnam war.

 

Tachileik sits on the banks of the Mekong River across from Mai Sai in Thailand. It is a cross border town. It is the residence for many of the ethnic hill tribes such as the Khun, Akha, Shan, Wa and Lahus. The mixture of different ethnic cultures adds the diversity to the cultural practices of the area. Myanmar and Thai borders are open from 6am to 6pm in weekdays and 6 am to 9pm in weekends.

On the other side of the Mae Sai, a creek about 50 feet (15.2m) wide which is the demarcating line between Myanmar and Thailand, is the Thai town of Mae Sai. Border trade between the two towns goes on at a brisk pace with Myanmar offerings of traditional goods such as hand-woven fabrics, gold tapestry, lacquer ware, wood carvings of figurines and panels, jewellery set with gemstones and silverware displayed in the Talaw Market, in the busiest quarter of bustling Tachilek.